Technology

Coal has been in use for hundreds of years as a source of energy by man. Apparently coal has been used for heating since the caveman. The new technologies invented during the industrial revolution provided coal with the real opportunity towards being the dominant worldwide supplier of energy due to the overwhelming need for energy. Mr. Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, used coal to power his engines which lead to coal being an important source of energy during the industrial revolution. Coal is formed as a result of decay of plants from primeval forests over a long time. It is less expensive than other energy sources and also one of the most abundant fuels. The United States has 25 of the worlds known coal reserves according to the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas. Traces of impurities like sulphur and nitrogen are found in coal. These substances are released into the atmosphere when coal burns thus creating acid rain. Coal burning also leads to carbon emission and eventually global warming. Emissions from coal burning are also known to cause respiratory diseases. Coal has the added disadvantage of being nonrenewablenon sustainable. Clean coal technology was started jointly by Canada and the US. Coal cleaning involves both simple and complex processes. Coal can simply be washed to get rid of pyritic sulfur. Smoke from burning coal can also be passed through flue gas desulfurization units that scrub away the sulfur from the smoke using limestone. Nitrogen oxides from nitrogen are taken care of by first preventing them from forming. This is achieved using staged combustion and catalysts. The fluidized bed boiler, yet another clean coal technology, eliminates sulfur and nitrogen oxides from coal by allowing limestone to mix with the coal and by burning at cooler temperatures respectively. The pressurized fluidized bed boiler is an improved version of the bed boiler. It has the capacity to spin a gas turbine and boil water for a steam turbine. Thus it is have two sources of electricity from the same fuel. Gasification of coal is the ultimate in clean coal technology. Impurities in sulfur are filtered out entirely. This technology also comes with the added advantage of using the hot combustion gases to spin a gas turbine and using the exhaust gases from the same turbine to heat water to steam and turn another type of turbine for even more electricity. With the above advances in coal technology, it is set to regain its stature as the worlds prime source for energy.

The Internet is a powerful learning tool that students of all ages may benefit from. As professionals and housewives join online universities, doctors and nurses use Personal Digital Assistants and nursing informatics that are based on the Internet not only to ease communicationbut also to access critical information. As a matter of fact, all professions that rely on ongoing education may benefit from the Internet. No longer is classroom education considered a necessity. Moreover, research findings have revealed that students are nowadays increasingly using the Internet as a fundamental study aid both inside and outside the classroom (Lenhart, Simon,  Graziano, 2001).
 In the year 2000, a study was conducted by Pew Internet  American Life Project to understand the benefits of the Internet in education. A total of 754 students between the ages, 12 to 17, were interviewed as part of the study. According to the findings, 94 of students were using the Internet to conduct school research, while 78 believed that the Internet truly assists them with school work. Additionally, 71 of the students reported that they were using the Internet as an important source for their school reports as well as projects. A total of 41 mentioned that they used the Internet to contact their classmates in addition to teachers with essential questions related to school work. What is more, 34 of the students reported that they had downloaded online study aids, while 58 reported their use of websites that had been set up especially for their schools or particular classes (Lenhart, Simon,  Graziano).
 I believe that more students must be using the Internet today.  Besides, the benefits of the Internet for students are not limited to teenagers. College and university students are similarly known to benefit from the Internet. I, too, am one of those fortunate students, and intend to go on using the Internet for lifelong learning.
Email Ethics at Work
     Certainly, electronic communication is superior to paper communication and word of mouth, its main advantage being speed.  Schedules and individual assignments are easily communicated by electronic means.  If, for example, a technical support team must deal with a matter urgently, email notifications are speedier for everybody to retrieve.  In fact, members of the team that are online could be reached instantly by email.  It may be chaotic without emails notifying staff to organize themselves according to the situation at hand.  What if a junior organizational member had to be sent to knock on each team members office door to call his or her attention to the problem at hand
     Although electronic messaging is meant to reduce organizational errors as staff receives updated information directly from managers  depending on the stresses faced by staff, it is quite likely for at least some of the communication to turn unprofessional, especially if there have been problems with schedules.  If an organizational issue goes bad and fiery words are exchanged by means of email, regardless of the nature of the problem it is bound to get worse as people react to online messages with speed and emotion, which is why face to face communication is considered superior in such situations (Vleck, 1995).  In professional emails, therefore, each member of the organization is required to mind his or her manners watch his or her tone be to-the-point or concise ask whether the receiver is willing to open attachments (unless the job at hand requires them to be sent) and check for spelling and grammar mistakes.  What is more, personal email communication may consist of emotions or even emoticons, which professional communication must not consist of (McKay, 2009).  In short, it is work ethic that matters most in organizational emails.  I hope I never forget to observe this rule in my professional life.  
Business Made Easy with Business Intelligence Software
     I feel honored to be enjoying the Information Age, and look forward to my professional life with amazing application software to work with.  One of the technological breakthroughs is the business intelligence software.  Business intelligence refers to activities undertaken by a business to gather essential information about its competitors or the market.  Business intelligence systems, on the other hand, tend to be interdepartmental information gatherers.  With an emphasis on speedy retrieval of information, these technologies rely on data fed into them by data gatherers to relay to departments that require this information.  But, these systems may also perform the data mining function on their own before crunching that data in a highly efficient manner.  For example, business intelligence software may be designed to gather important information about competitors (McGuigan, 2009).  Likewise, this technology makes it possible for the business to predict future scenarios with predictive analytics, combining data mining and statistical analysis (Kelly, 2009). 
     Thus, business intelligence software is not only useful in collecting and disseminating information between separate departments, running reports, and making predictions based on past performance but also in conducting analyses of the external environment of the company, including market analysis based on latest economic trends (King, 2009).  Moreover, this technology is meant to help the organization with customer relationship management.  After all, employees using the system are able to speedily retrieve necessary information in order to satisfy customers (Jasra, 2009).  I would add that this software must undoubtedly satisfy both the user and the customer.  Business efficiency must undoubtedly benefit everybody.


All Files Reduced to the Size of a Thumb
     I have been using the C drive to manage all of my files for college. This is because the thumb or flash drive lacks compatibility with the operating system installed on my computer Windows 98. However, I have learned that I may purchase a thumb drive that is equipped with the software required to install a Windows 98 drive on my computer within sixty seconds (What is a Thumb Drive, 2009).
 Although I am not a user as yet, I understand that the thumb drive could provide great benefits to the student who uses it to store coursework. Using the thumb drive, a student may store his or her coursework for an entire year or even longer (Burns, 2007). The thumb drive may accommodate up to eight gigabytes, although most students may want to settle for 256 to 512 megabytes. Besides, the thumb drive is almost never scratched. It is the size of a thumb, so therefore students may carry it anywhere they want (What is a Thumb Drive). And, if their computers ever crash, the thumb drive would continue to hold their course material for them.
 Another important advantage of the thumb drive for students is that the drive is re-writable. Students do not have to buy new drives once they have completed the courses that they used their drives for. The material for their new courses may be stored into the old drives, allowing them to save money (What is a Thumb Drive). At the same time, however, students must be careful not to lose their thumb drives. Because these drives are exceptionally small, it is easy for students to misplace them. Hence, I would not recommend the thumb drive to a friend if he or she happens to be an absent minded individual.  Then again, components of the system unit require care and management lest they fail us.  My absent minded friends would automatically learn this lesson if they misplace their thumb drives containing important assignments.

Technological Power and Abuse of Power
     Rob Milliron, a construction worker, was enjoying his lunch in an entertainment area of Tampa, Florida, when a government camera equipped with face recognition technology took his photograph.  The photo was used without Millirons consent in an article published in the U.S. News  World Report.  When a woman in Oklahoma misidentified Milliron after seeing that photo and contacted the police to have him arrested on child neglect charges, the man in the picture was forced to explain his innocence to law enforcement agencies.  He told a newspaper once his explanation had been accepted They made me feel like a criminal (Alexander  Richert-Boe). 
     This case raises ethical concerns regarding use of facial recognition surveillance.  Although common use of this technology is yet to be realized, its future in areas of security and public safety appears rather promising.  However, as Millirons case shows, there are issues of legality with reference to face recognition surveillance.  We have to bring into consideration the Fourth Amendment to understand these issues (Bennett, 2001).  
     The United States Supreme Court held in Katz v. United States that the Fourth Amendment would afford constitutional protection in those areas in which an individual reasonably expects privacy (Bennett).  Of course, Milliron should not have expected privacy in a public place.  Even so, his photograph was used without his consent.  It was an invasion of Millirons privacy to publish the photo.  Hence, this case shows that the power of input devises such as face recognition technology must not be abused.  Damaging individuals with computing devices is a crime, regardless of the identity of the criminal.  Let us hope that everybody using powerful input devices  including my community  bears Milliron in mind.  I would not want to be in his place.
Imagine Workplaces without Printers
     Although there are various models provided by textbooks to understand and measure organizational effectiveness, the basic meaning of organizational effectiveness remains unchanged It is for the organization to be doing everything that it knows how to do, and to be doing it well.  The organization knows how to manage its employees, and manufacture the products or provide the services that it originally set out to manufacture or provide.  However, in order to be effective in its operations, the organization should be managing its employees well, and manufacturing good quality products or providing high quality services to its customers.  What is more, in the business environment today, the organization that is effective in its operations must be efficiently and productively using information technology.  This is, in fact, one of the requirements of organizational effectiveness (Helms). 
     Computers, with their input and output devices, help to organize plans, letters, legal documents, articles, and countless other files including indispensable information.  In other words, computing helps to modernize as well as simplify the whole process of working with documents.  Thus, the organization is able to do its job well, seeing that computers are designed to perform routine tasks that humans might perform only with mistakes because they dislike and get easily wearied with monotonous assignments.  What is more, time is money in the business world.  By using computers to handle routine tasks with speed, the organization is using its human resources for jobs that only skilled human beings would be able to handle.  Hence, everything at the organization runs well. 
     Can you imagine a workplace without printers  I certainly would not agree to work there.  I know that an organization that lacks access to a basic output device such as a printer is an ineffective one.  I would buy a printer for that organization if I must work there.  
Storage of Personal Data Positive or Largely Negative
     The fact that computer privacy is endangered in the era of abundant usage of information systems sheds negative light on the use of these systems. Unsurprisingly, countless individuals and organizations must shirk the use of information systems for this reason. Organizations where computer privacy is at risk may have to pay a heavy price for security breaches.
     Hollinger (2006) writes about a law in New Hampshire to fight the dangers of breach of data and information through the use of information systems. In effect since January 1, 2007, new sections to the right-to-privacy statute require businesses to promptly inform individuals that are likely to be affected by a breach of data and information (Hollinger). Even if a business is unsure that the stolen information would be misused, this requirement of the law stands. Individuals whose personal data has been stolen may be informed in writing, by email, or by telephone with a description of the incident, date of the breach, type of personal information accessed, and a telephone contact (Hollinger). If there are more than one thousand people who may be affected by the breach of data and information, and the total cost to be borne by the business for notifying them exceeds 5,000, the law allows statewide publication of the incident through a newspaper, website or electronic newsletter. Moreover, regulated businesses must inform their primary regulators about the security breach. Other businesses are required to inform the New Hampshire attorney generals office (Hollinger). If a business fails to meet all requirements of the new law, it may be subjected to severe penalties (Hollinger). 
     Of course, the organization also loses community goodwill if such a case is publicized.  Thus, storage of information on computerized systems could be very costly, even though the nature of the business may require storage of personal information about stakeholders.  I would feel very anxious if my doctor or bank informs me about a security breach that affects me.
The Miracle of Computer Communication in Coping with Disease
     Computers do not only connect people in business, schools, and healthcare centers, but also in their homes.  Individuals suffering from a particular disease may form their own support groups to gather invaluable information that may help them cope with the disease.  I personally know an individual who has had first-hand experience with such groups.  According to this person  a terminally ill patient  such groups are essential because family and friends may not always understand or have time to comprehend the psychology of the patient.  Chat support groups for women that are suffering from breast cancer have been scientifically proven as successful.  These support groups are known to have helped women suffering from breast cancer to experience a reduction in depression.  I have been further informed that even pain reactions may be reduced when many women suffering from the same illness use the Internet to chat with each other, thereby forming unique support systems for themselves.
     An Internet-based support system allows ailing individuals to feel safe, as they may hide their real identities if they must.  Chatting with some of the individuals using the system reveals that safety and anonymity are matters of great import for a terminally ill patient.  Because some of the patients believe in keeping their illness an absolute secret  to the extent that even their family and friends are unaware of the real problems they are confronting  computer communication using the Internet is an avenue for such individuals to get the emotional support they require, regardless of their face-to-face, personal relationships. 
     I commend the developers of such chat rooms.  In fact, I am urged to call them Christ-like.  Computer communication is, indeed, a miracle.  Moreover, it allows us to remember that we are never alone, regardless of what we face in our personal lives.  Computer communication connects us with the entire world.

Wireless technology is a global innovation through which its various functions in traditional form are made mobile and accessible without spatial limits. The antecedent to the continuous development of wireless technology is the necessity to bridge communication gaps. Different challenges and difficulties in communication and networking have prompted the development of wireless technology. (Rhoton, 2002) Apart from facilitating effortless communication, wireless technology also smoothen the progress of data or information transfer and offer entertainment on the go for its users. (Firestone, 2008)
    Due to the benefits and contributions of wireless technology, it has been adapted, developed, and established in different fields. Wireless technology may be for personal use through the utilization of cell phones, wireless Internet connections, and handheld devices such as PDAs (Firestone, 2008, p. 5). In the field of medicine, wireless technology is being utilized in order to improve networking and communications for a more efficient mode of providing medical services to patients. For instance, cardiac pacemakers are equipped with wireless technology for the purpose of correcting heart rhythms. (Firestone, 2008, p. 5).
Wireless technology also contributes to the field of business and commerce by providing a means by which corporations may expand and grow by relying on wireless technology for setting up and operating e-commerce. (Wheeler, 2004 Tsai, 2003) In education, wireless technology is instrumental in assisting academic institutions resolve certain problems that hinder the development and enrichment of the teaching and learning process. (Sharma  Nakamura, 2003) By and large, wireless technology has played an important part in modern society. With this in mind, the remainder of this text will look into the various influences of wireless technology to
The Influence of Wireless Technology to Man and Society   
    Initially, the presence of wireless technology creates a sudden need or demand for these kinds of devices. Various groups in society have assigned the roles or uses of wireless technology, whereas if nonexistent, these particular needs will peter out or cease to exist. For instance, most adolescents nowadays would regard mobile and smart phones essential parts of their daily lives, while this need was nonexistent beforehand. In the workplace, the use of wireless technology has also prompted the need for individuals to be well-versed about technology and how it is used. Working adults primarily regard these devices wireless technology devices as utilitarian business tools teenagers and young adults look at them as a platform for entertainment (Miller, 2004, p. 324).
    The influence of wireless technology in expanding the needs of man may be explained by the Theory of Needs by Abraham Maslow. According to Maslow, human need is a psychological construct composed of five levels physiological, safety, social, ego, and self-actualization (Taniar, 2009, p. 58). Wireless technology offers benefits that appeal to different human needs as explicated by Maslows theory. Wireless technology meets physiological and material needs the safety features of technology appeals to security needs wireless technology facilitates social interaction the knowledge and skills in utilizing and understanding wireless technology appeals to a mans pride or ego various wireless technological tools may be used in different aspects of life to accomplish success and make work more efficient, etc.
    Aside from human needs, wireless technology also affects an individuals culture of human beings in modern society. The platform of technology has changed the structure of society too much. For instance, impersonal communication or interaction has become common, lessening the value of personal interaction among individuals. Wireless technology also strongly influences the perspectives of individuals, which are reflected in their language. From an evolutionary view, we are seeing a new case in which the adoption of new technology affects language, including vocabulary and rules of grammar in practices. And these practices ultimately affect the common language, and language itself (Castells, 2007, p. 184).
    As previously mentioned, wireless technology also affects decision-making processes and priority setting. These arguments are palpable by observing purchasing decisions of individuals and the reason by which people choose to purchase wireless technology over other objects or goods. An example of this would be the popularity of mobile phones as opposed to telephones with fixed lines. (Shi, 2004) Cultural influences of wireless technology, that are inherent in decisions and priorities, are evident in adoption rates and styles (Shi, 2004, p. 8) of human beings. For instance, Cultural factors affect the preference for mobile phones over fixed phones they also influence handset sizes and style preferences (Shi, 2004, p. 8).
    In addition, the priorities of individuals change with the various contributions and opportunities that wireless technology plays in an individuals life. Technically speaking, Consumers may want different levels of detail in information depending on the situation. In a wireless world, we believe that they tend to prefer information in a compact form because they will tend to use wireless devices while on the go and because of technology limitations (Pal  Rangaswamy, 2003, p. 67). Thus, the priority of human beings have shifted from directly accomplishing their goals and objectives in the different aspects of their lives to the identification and acquisition of various tools and instruments by which the arduous process may be simplified and made less complex for them. Furthermore, the priority of human beings, which have led to heavy reliance on wireless technology, is to make life less difficult by looking for ways by which difficulties may be lessened. Customization of wireless technology to address the difficulties of individuals in accomplishing roles and responsibilities in different areas of life has been the priority of modern society.
    Finally, wireless technology leads to the ability of man to create and innovate. This is palpable in the increasing development of technology. The existence of Global Positioning Systems, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Broadband Internet, 3G and 4G technologies have proven that technology is heading towards one direction and the capacity of man to develop technology fuels it.
Conclusion 
    Overall, the major arguments presented above reveal that wireless technology, when it comes to man and society, has generally influenced and transformed culture. First, the existence of wireless technology along with the various benefits and contributions that it offers to man, appeals to human needs in various levels. Thus, man perceives wireless technology to be a need. Second, wireless technology influences decision-making processes, specifically in terms of purchasing or consumerism. Third, in relation to the second argument, wireless technology affects the priorities of man. From a goal-driven society, people have become more conscious or aware of the need to create several ways in which the accomplishment of goals and objectives in various areas or fields of life will become more efficient and less difficult. Finally, wireless technology enables man to create or innovate. The features of wireless technology allow man to fulfill his functions in different areas of his life, as well as to improve technology to fit the needs of man.

Genetic engineering has seen the production of genetically engineered foods which have brought about a lot of controversy regarding their safety for human consumption among other ethical issues. This hot debate has reigned in the public and also among professionals in this field with some arguing that the foods derived from this technology pose a great risk to human health whereas the other side sees no detrimental effects of consuming these foods. This paper argues for the use of genetically modified foods and therefore it gives justifications on why genetically modified foods are safe. By countering the controversial views of those who argue against these foods, important questions regarding safety of these foods have been answered eventually informing the organizations and other players in the genetic engineering field.
What are genetically modified foods
    To gain a clear understanding of this argument, it is pertinent to have a clear understanding of which foods are termed as genetically engineered and the process through which they are made. With this information, it is also possible to differentiate them from the organic and naturally occurring foods. Genetic modification entails altering the genetic composition of an organism. Genetically modified foods result from a combination of genes from different organisms (plants, animals or bacteria). The foods are also referred to as genetically engineered foods or transgenic (Human Genome project Information, para 1).
Other than introducing foreign genes in an organism to end up with a genetically modified food, it is also possible to obtain the same by rearranging the existing genes such that new characteristics are expressed on the original organism. Genetic modification is done using molecular tools. There are several foods that have undergone genetic modifications including tomatoes that have been made such that they delay in ripening as with the case of the Flavr SavrTM Tomato that contain a gene that helps the cell wall remain stable making the tomato remain firm for shipping and long storage (Schneider  Schneider, para 2). Other foods have been modified to resist pests whereas others have had their nutritional value added.
A clear point to note is that genetically modified foods date back to the ancient days whereby genetic alterations resulted from the practice hybridization and traditional breeding. The only difference with modern modifications is the use of recombinant technology in the process of recombinant DNA technology.
Have you ever consumed a genetically modified food
    Most likely you have consumed a genetically modified food with or without your knowledge. In any case, settled agriculture has been in practice in the last 8000 years ago and selective breeding was in practice then with farmers going for disease and pest resistant crops (McLean, para 3). Even in the current era of modern biotechnology, most of us have consumed these modified foods. With 252 million acres of genetically modified crops being planted in 22 countries by year 2006, it is likely that you could have used one of these foods. The United States had a 57 percent contribution followed by Argentina which took a share of 17. South Africa contributed a one percent production of the GM products in the same year (Human Genome project Information, para 5). This technology has helped in meeting the challenge of food in the globe without any considerable risk being mentioned with their consumption. Why then should we not continue consuming the genetically modified foods if for centuries we have been safe with their consumption
A case for use of genetically modified foods
    The debate against the use of GM food is not well founded and overlooks several existing facts. In actual sense, fighting the use of genetic food is a brutal refusal of accepting reality. Other than establishing that we have been consuming genetically altered foods over the decades without any harm, its point blank that the existing controversies are more of technical and procedural problems and not safety problems.
    A section of people argue that the transgene (foreign gene in a new organism) is toxic and that it can be transferred to the consumer. The fact is that every day we take up not less than 0.1 to 1 germ of DNA in our meals. A transgene in a GM food would therefore not be new to our system. Furthermore, the transgene is also in insignificant small amounts. Studies also show that foreign DNA introduced through the diet is not directly toxic. Instead, the foreign DNA has been found to be helpful in the functioning of the gut and the immune system. Why then should we think that consuming food products that have been modified will lead to the incorporation of the foreign genes in our genomes In any case, foreign DNA would be broken down by defense mechanisms such as hydrolytic breakdown, excision and silencing of the foreign gene via DNA methylation thus avoiding incorporation and expression in the consuming organism (Hollingworth et al, p 3). The above facts show that the possibility of undesirable effects coming up due to existence of foreign DNA in foods is negligible.
    We recognize that genetically modified foods may have increased risk of developing allergies or heighten allergic reactions in already susceptible individuals (Whitman, para 7). Why are the anti-GMOs focusing on this issue while it is well known that even conventional foods also cause allergies Upon introduction, the kiwi fruit in the United States and Europe in the 1960s, the kiwi fruit did not bring any allergies but has currently caused allergies in some people (Winter  Gallegos, p 1). It is needless to worry about such an issue since there are strict regulatory measures set up to evaluate any possibility of GM foods evoking allergies. The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) together with International Food and Biotechnology Council developed a way of assessing allergenicity in GM foods and has gained review approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) and food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (Hollingworth et al, p 3). With such stringent control measures, the consumers should feel safe consuming GM foods. Genetic engineering may actually solve the problem of allergies as it is for instance possible to modify peanuts to make their proteins non-allergic or less allergic (Jegtvig, para 7). Why cant people focus on such positives and stop assuming some adverse effects
    There are arguments that genetically modified products such as Bt cotton or maize can produce toxins that can harm consumers and handlers. The fact however is that Bt toxins have been found to be safe on humans and animals as they are easily digested. The toxin is however effective on the target pests and this makes the technology superb. The genetic engineers have however been careful to consider every transegene separately thereby leaving the technology almost waterproof.
Regulation of genetically modified foods
    The safety of GM foods is ensured by the stringent regulations maintained by credible regulatory bodies. In the U.S, there are several regulatory and advisory bodies including the Animal and Plant Health Inspectorate Service (APHIS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Jason-Smith, para 1). The health concerns about GM foods are well addressed by the FDA as per the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Safety requirements are set by FDA and communicated to producers of GM foods thus helping them to achieve the required safety standards. The companies have to submit their products to FDA for approval and if a product does not meet the standards, it is not allowed in the market. No one should fear consuming GM foods since all those that are currently in the market have gone through thorough safety assessment by FDA and have been found safe (Winter  Gallegos, p 2). If we can have confidence on FDA and other recognized food safety agencies when assessing conventional foods, why should we doubt the credibility of these bodies when it comes to GM foods To deal with potent allergens in GM foods, the FDA has established measures that ensure that all producers of genetically modified foods table scientific evidence to show that the product does not contain any allergenic substance. Failure to produce such evidence calls for labeling of the product as a GM food so that consumers are aware (Schneider  Schneider, para 3).
    Although controversy has risen with approval of several GM products in the U.S., no harm has been particularly associated with these. The U.S. has approved commercialization of the Flavr SavrTM Tomato, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn, the controversial StarLink corn and the L-tryptophan. Some of these have been found to have some adverse effects like the L-tryptophan related deaths in late 1980s but the risks were not as a result the transegene but rather due to lack of other quality control measures (Schneider  Schneider, para 4). This implies that we need not worry of the process of coming up with a safe food product but rather worry whether the product is safe. GM foods in this case are safe but unfortunately critics look into the technology too much and end up criticizing a safe food product.
    Those who worry of introducing antibiotic resistance genes should stop doing so since there is no documented evidence of such a transfer. Furthermore, the introduced genes are usually very negligible. To avoid probable introduction of the genes, the genetic engineering field is able to have the antibiotic resistant genes removed before incorporating the gene into the food product (Winter  Gallegos, p 5). The question of nutritional value of GM foods compared to conventional foods is nothing to worry about since the products are manufactured to meet the nutritional equivalents of conventional foods and if any further modification is done, this aims at improving the value of the food. The work of FDA and other regulatory bodies is to oversee these concerns and to give appropriate guidelines and restrictions.
    Stringent control measures are not only regulated by the U.S. FDA as other countries have even more strict guidelines concerning approval of GM foods. The European Union (EU) for instance is very thorough in this assessment. Manufacturers or importers of GM foods obtain approval from a member state which does case by case risk assessment of the GM food. In addition, the member state gives important information to the EU Commission which then informs other member states and waits for their approval. Failure of approval by a single state means that the food cannot be produced or imported. This rigorous procedure cannot allow health threats to pass through and therefore one should be confident when consumed an EU approved GM food (Berkey, para 4). In essence, regulatory measures and public awareness are the only lacking pieces of knowledge to the public and some governments and the way to consumption of the highly beneficial genetically modified foods will be opened.
    Currently, a new genetic modification known as marker-assisted selection (MAS) has come into the scene and this has proved beneficial and reliable as far as safety concerns are to be considered. This technology should give all consumers confidence of using GM foods since it involves using the organisms own DNA to select for desired characteristics such as quality of meat or plant productivity (Schneider  Schneider, para 7).
    Since no evidence has been documented on the harm caused by GM foods that have passed the necessary regulatory procedures, the anti-GMOs should arise and accept the reality of the potential benefits accrued to the GM foods. Millions of children are suffering from malnutrition whereas others especially in the developing countries die of hunger when a solution is at hand. Imagine of a technology that would ensure that a single food product such as maize containing all the essential nutrients in a diet This would save millions of lives. Unfounded fear of GM foods has posed serious food crisis as well as nutritional crisis.
    Many anti-GM food activists argue from a political perspective and not from an evidence-based position. There is no good reason to deny the public access to the highly beneficial GM products on the basis of whether a product is labeled as a GM food or not. The most essential question to raise here is whether it has gone the proper approval procedures by accredited bodies (World Health Organization, para 6). If however people demand that these products be labeled, then there is no reason why they should not be labeled to promote democracy and choice. The ultimate thing is that whether labeled or not, an approved GM product will always remain safe and beneficial with many of them being better in terms of quality than the conventional or organic foods. Were it not for continued improvement in food productivity from as early as the history of agriculture, man could have fallen short of food production culminate his existence.
Conclusion
    Genetically modified foods that have passed through the right risk assessment stages are already in the market and are safe for consumption. There should not be any fear while consuming such a product unless you are sure that it has not gone through assessment. It is unfortunate that the benefits of these foods have not been reaped by a majority due to lack of proper and reliable knowledge regarding GM foods. It is the responsibility of governments and scientists in this field to pass the accurate information to the public for us to enhance the adoption of this live-saving technology failure to which world food crisis and malnutrition will persist.